I concur with Tina Mitchell: Young black-headed grosbeaks in my neck of the woods make the same calls when begging to be fed. It's a plaintive, descending sound, often as a single note but usually followed by one or two quicker ascending calls and resolving on that descending note. It's like a wolf whistle, but sung sad with a one-note intro. Listen a few minutes, and the telltale squeaky "chip" of an adult arriving usually follows.
I have been watching five or six juveniles in my backyard do this over the past few weeks. Until Mike's recording, I hadn't heard this call for the species on various online guides. John Ealy Roxborough Park, Douglas County CO -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/23d8d089-81fd-4fb6-a148-9e09f322e90fo%40googlegroups.com.
